This invention relates to a hinge, and more particularly, to a three point pivoting 360.degree. articulable pinchless hinge.
Hinges are well known for connecting members that are to rotate or pivot with respect to each other. One of the members may or may not be stationary. Examples of members that pivot with respect to each other are wall panels and room partitions. Examples where one member stays stationary include doors, gates, lids and covers. The most commonly known hinge is commonly referred to as the piano hinge. The piano hinge may generally be described as having flat or plate portions to be secured along the edges of the respective two members that are to be pivoted with respect to each other. The edges of the hinge plates have fingers or tabs that are formed arcuately into a complete loop portion for capturing a pin or rod. The tabs extending from opposing plates are staggered to permit them to interleave and become aligned with opposing tabs. The aligned looped tabs permit the pin or rod to be captured by the tabs and permit the hinge plates to pivot or rotate with respect to each other.
This type of hinge has two significant drawbacks. Firstly, this hinge structure typically does not permit 360.degree. articulation with respect to the two members but most commonly 180.degree.. Secondly, piano hinges align the edges of the members closely together and, as a consequence, renders the piano style hinge prone to pinching fingers or other objects that happen to get placed in the vicinity of the hinge during such pivotal movement. This is largely because both hinge plate portions are close together and both pivot about a single axis.
FIGS. 1 through 3 show the significant limitations of the prior art hinges. For illustrative purposes, the hinges 6 are connected to wall panels or room partition members 5. Their articulation limitation, typically 180.degree., requires that the hinges be alternatively arranged as to permit every other panel to alternately rotate in the other direction. This limitation is required to obtain articulation of the panel assembly. Double headed Arrows A and A' generally show the 180.degree. range of articulation of the panels in opposite direction of each other.
The limitation of this type of hinge structure is shown in FIG. 2. Corners 7 and objects, such as building support columns 8, are difficult to articulate the panels 5 with hinges 6 therearound in any type of aesthetically pleasing manner. FIG. 3 shows how every other hinge 6 is restricted beyond their 180.degree. arc of articulation thereby failing to make a perfectly arcuate or serpentine wall arrangement but rather a cornered wall arrangement B.
There is a need for a three point pivoting 360.degree. articulable pinchless hinge that is pinch proof, smooth in operation, positive in its movement and will give the user a full range of choices in positioning of the respective members to be hinged together.